This is the fourth in a five-part series analyzing the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot. Sporting News’ Stan McNeal (a voting member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America) will break down the candidates prior to the announcement of the voting results Jan. 9.

Of the 24 players who made their debut on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, at least six could be voted in someday. That would be a remarkable haul, by any era and anyone’s standards.

Chances for three of the six figure to be severely hurt by the steroids controversy, particularly in their first year on the ballot. Those three would be Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, of course. All three are expected to fall short of receiving the 75 percent of the vote needed for induction, but they should muster the 5 percent needed to stay on the ballot next year. Those players will have to rely on other voters, however, because they won’t be getting my support.

I did vote for three newcomers (Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling), and I believe at least five others could receive enough support to stay on the ballot. A look at the eight:

Craig Biggio

Voting for Biggio didn’t take great deliberation mainly because he finished with one of the “magic” numbers: 3,000 hits. Biggio had 3,060 hits during a 20-year career spent with the Houston Astros. His versatility helps his case, too. Biggio made All-Star teams as a catcher and as a second baseman, plus he played center field for parts of five seasons.

Odds: I have a feeling Biggio will have to wait a year because some voters don’t consider him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I expect him to receive between 50-65 percent of the votes this time.

Mike Piazza

The best-hitting catcher of all time should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And if Piazza wasn’t the best-hitting catcher, he belongs in the same sentence with Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra and Mickey Cochrane. Piazza actually finished with better numbers than any of the three. Among his best: a .308 career batting average and 427 homers, including a record 396 hit in games he caught.

Odds: His popularity with heavy voting bases of New York and Los Angeles won’t hurt his cause. Still, Piazza’s defensive liabilities could cost him first-ballot induction. So might (unfounded) speculation about PED use.

Curt Schilling

With 216 wins and a 3.46 ERA, his career numbers don’t shout Hall of Fame. But Schilling’s postseason resume is one of the best ever (11-2, 2.23 ERA). Even more impressive: Schilling finished with the best regular season strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.38 to 1) of the modern era. When you’re No. 1 all-time in such an important stat, you’ll get my vote.

Odds: Receiving 75 percent of the votes would be a surprise. Receiving 50 percent wouldn’t be.

Kenny Lofton

He had a lot of great seasons, as evidenced by a .299 career batting average, .372 on-base percentage and 622 steals (15th all-time). Lofton also finished with 2,428 hits in a 17-year career that included six All-Star appearances and four Gold Gloves.

Odds: He could approach 50 percent of the vote, which would bode well for his chances in the future.

David Wells

You say big-bellied pop-off, I say strike-throwing machine who finished with numbers more than impressive than you might think. Among them: 239 wins (tied for 57th all-time) and 2,201 strikeouts (53rd) in 21 seasons.

Odds: Wells has little chance of making the Hall, but he should get enough support to stay on the ballot.

Steve Finley

He finished a 19-year career as one of eight players to hit more than 300 homers (304) and steal more than 300 bases (320). Finley also won five Gold Gloves for his play in center field and finished with 2,548 hits.

Odds: If Bernie Williams received 9.6 percent of the votes last year, Finley should be able to stay on the ballot for more than a year.

Julio Franco

He deserves mention for his 2,586 hits, playing until he was 48 and lasting 23 seasons in the majors. A .298 career batting average and .365 on-base percentage also are impressive, but not enough to make him a Hall of Famer.

Odds: Franco could get the 5 percent needed to stay on the ballot, but I won’t be surprised if he is one and done.

Reggie Sanders

Like Finley, he is a member of the 300-300 club with 305 homers and 304 stolen bases. Sanders’ other numbers, however, are nothing special when talking about the Hall of Fame. He hit .267 and finished his 17-year career with 1,666 hits.

Odds: It is possible but not likely that Sanders will stay on the ballot.